Many pet parents take the role extremely seriously. While a lot of people who share a close bond with their furry friends have taken to calling themselves “dog moms” or “cat dads,” the idea that having a pet is comparable to parenting is divisive. During a recent interview with People, actress Kristin Chenoweth made her opinion on the topic clear.
Regardless of what critics say, Kristin’s dog is her “baby.” Though Kristin doesn’t have any human children of her own, she takes her dog mom role extremely seriously. “Why get a dog unless you want unconditional love?” she said during her recent People interview.
She went on to say that her cockapoo mix, Thunder, can help her out when she’s feeling down. “I swear, Thunder can look me in the eyes, she’s got human eyes, and she’ll be like, ‘Mommy, it’s okay,'” Kristin told the publication, adding that her dog has “seen me in my worst and my best.”
Whenever anyone suggests that her dog is not her child, Kristin wants to tell them that she actually gave birth to her dog herself. “When people say, ‘Oh, it’s just your dog,’ I want to go, ‘She came out of my vagina. What are you talking about?'” Kristin joked. “I love my dog. Okay?”
The actress has partnered with pet food brand Nom Nom. As part of the brand’s “Make Mealtime Magical” campaign, Kristin portrays “the Enrichment Witch” to educate dog parents about enrichment and help combat boredom in dogs.
Speaking to People, Kristin explained, “Similar to over half of dog parents recently polled by Nom Nom, I also used to think enrichment just meant playtime and long walks. But it turns out it’s so much more.”
On Reddit, people reacted to Kristin’s joke about giving birth to her pup. “I love this and I tell people I birthed my cats all the time,” one person wrote. “They get mad, it’s a joke. Nobody needs to gatekeep that, it’s all in fun.”
Another fan seemed to agree, writing: “I always said I birthed my baby, a beautiful black lab. If you asked any of my kids who my favorite child was they’d say the dog.”
However, others seemed to have an issue with the “pet parent” and “dog mom” terminology. “Pet owners like these are the worst,” a critic wrote. “Pathetic.”
